Escort Services: Studying late and worried about getting to your car or the dorms? In the evening hours after dark, a "Community Service Officer" (C.S.O.) is stationed outside the Library to either walk or drive you to your destination. The C.S.O. program is a division of the University Police Department. You may request as escort Sunday through Thursday from 6:00PM to 11:00PM by using a public pay phone's University Police button or by dialing (562) 985-4101 from a pay phone or cell phone (5-4101 from on-campus phones). If necessary you may request an escort using a Blue Emergency phone. If you require an escort at other times, call (562) 985-4101 and a police officer will assist you.

Valuables: Do not leave valuables (backpacks, books, purses, etc.) out of your sight while you're in the Library!

Study Areas

General open reading areas are available on the Lower Level, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th Floors.

The 2nd Floor Reading Room has been designated a Quiet Study Area.

The 3rd Floor Reading Room is a Group Study Area. In this area, conversation and laptop use are permitted.

Lower Level and 1st Floor services areas of the Library are intended for use with the services provided with those services (reference, reserve, current periodicals, media, computing). They are not intended for general or quiet study use.

Disabled Study Rooms: A study room for students with disabilities is available in Lower Level, Room 9.

Checking Out Materials

Checking Out: When you're ready to check out items, go to the Circulation Desk on the 1st Floor of the Library. Alternatively, you can use one of the 3 Self-Check stations to check out your own books. Self-check stations are located on 2nd floor at the entrance to the book stacks, on 3rd floor just inside the entrance to the study area, and on the 4th floor at the entrance to the book stacks. Call (562) 985-5512 if you have any questions about borrowing materials from the University Library.

Identification Cards: Your campus photo identification card serves as your library card. You must have a valid campus I.D. in order to use some library materials and computers. Call (562) 985-7388 with questions about campus photo I.D. cards.

You can establish your Library Account from any computer that can access COAST on the Internet. Click here to launch the Library's catalog, COAST. From COAST, click on My Library Account, and follow the instructions.

Loan Period: The initial loan period for books is three weeks. The due date receipt will tell you when your materials are due. Periodicals and reference materials cannot be checked out. With a Library Password, you can view your Library Account on COAST to see the due dates of all materials you have checked out.

Renewals: Books may be renewed in person (at the Circulation Desk) or online (via COAST). You can renew up to 4 times if the book is not on "hold" or "recalled". A Library Password is needed to renew materials through COAST.

Late Fees: A fee of 25 cents per item, per day, is assessed for general circulating materials returned past the date due. Reserve Items and Media materials have fees of $1.00 per item, per day. All fees are billed by mail and are payable at the University Business Office. No overdue reminders are sent.

Lost Books or Journals: If you cannot find an item that COAST shows should be on the shelf, this item may be lost. Please report the missing materials to the Circulation Desk. The sooner we know an item is missing, the sooner we can begin the process to find it or, if necessary, replace it. If COAST shows something is missing or you report something missing, don't worry....we can get it for you anyway!

Frequently Asked Questions About the Library

Where are the computers with internet access and Microsoft OfficeTM?

All computers in the Spidell Technology Center provide access to the internet and most provide access to MS Office. In addition to the student computer area, small groups of SignUp Express stations with a 15 minute time limit and COAST terminals are available on every other floor of the library. Microsoft OfficeTM software is available on the SignUp Express stations. SignUp Express stations allow printing for 10¢ per page to the self service printing station on the first floor. In addition, computers with a full suite of applications software (MS Office and much more!) are available in the Horn Center Computer Lab (North Campus).

Where are the restrooms?

The restrooms are available on all floors.

Where are the Copy Machines?

Copy machines are located on the Lower Level and 1st Floors. You can pay for copies by purchasing a copy card or by putting money on your campus I.D. card. There is a Value Transfer Station (where you can add money to your campus I.D. card) near each location.

Where are the Book Stacks?

The Book Stacks are on the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Floors. They are organized by call number.